RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Effect of Income on Subjective Well-Being
JF Journal of Human Resources
JO J Hum Resour
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 374
OP 417
DO 10.3368/jhr.52.2.1014-6727R1
VO 52
IS 2
A1 Lachowska, Marta
YR 2017
UL http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/52/2/374.abstract
AB This paper uses tax rebate payments from the 2008 economic stimulus to estimate the effect of a one-time change in income on three measures of subjective well-being: life satisfaction, health satisfaction, and affect. The income effect is identified by exploiting the plausibly exogenous variation in the payment schedule of the rebates. Using both ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares estimators, I find that the rebates had a large and positive impact on affect, which is explained by a reduction in feelings of stress and worry. For life satisfaction and health satisfaction, there is weaker evidence of a positive impact.